Guess What?

It's raining again and I'm not referring to the Supertramp song. Looks like autumn has come to Madrid. It's a light rain though. Sure hope we don't have any more floods like last week.

Funny thing isn't it how things we say make us think of songs or even groups? For example, someone says 'village' and I think Village People and the YMCA. We also all experience coincidences in our lives - some of us more than others. Years ago when I was going to the Supertramp concert, one of my friends didn't finish work until late so I waited for her. We arrived before the concert started and everything, but wouldn't you know we met up with other friends who were at the concert! With all the people there and we ran into them, and let me add that we hadn't arranged to meet there. That was a fantastic concert. Supertramp is one of those groups that sounds just as good live as they do recorded.

Last Sunday at this time the last tennis match for the Davis Cup was being played in the bullring. That night was when some parts of Madrid were flooded. If any of you have ever been to a bullfight, you'll know that the ring is covered in sand. Of course to convert the ring into a tennis court, tons and tons of sand had to be removed before the tennis court could be laid.. This was done in record time and, although I can't be sure that the sand has been replaced, they held a concert there this past Thursday night and again on Friday. R.E.M. is going to be there this Wednesday night.

Another WOW week over on Post Secret - from sad to tender to a little sick to frightening... I was visitor 183,711,275 - always seem to get the odd numbers. Anyway, here's wishing everybody a fantastic week.

Borrowed from Lanie's Page

LOOK UP YOUR BIRTHDAY AND SEE WHAT YOU ARE....

  January 01 - 09 ~ Dog
  January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse
  January 25 - 31 ~ Lion
  February 01 - 05 ~ Cat
  February 06 - 14 ~ Dove
  February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle
  February 22 - 28 ~ Panther
  March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey
  March 13 - 15 ~ Lion
  March 16 - 23 ~ Mouse
  March 24 - 31 ~ Cat
  April 01 - 03 ~ Dog
  April 04 - 14 ~ Panther
  April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse
  April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle
  May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey
  May 14 - 21 ~ Dove
  May 22 - 31 ~ Lion
  June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse
  June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle
  June 15 - 20 ~ Dog
  June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey
  June 25 - 30 ~ Cat
  July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse
  July 10 - 15 ~ Dog
  July 16 - 26 ~ Dove
  July 27 - 31 ~ Cat
  August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
  August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse
  August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle
  September 01 - 14 ~ Dove
  September 15 - 27 ~ Cat
  September 28 - 30 ~ Dog
  October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
  October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle
  October 28 - 31 ~ Panther
  November 01 - 16 ~ Lion
  November 17 - 30 ~ Cat
  December 01 - 16 ~ Dog
  December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey
  December 26 - 31 ~ Dove

  
If you are a Dog :
A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can never
be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when
it comes to your attitude towards working. You are a very simple
person, indeed. Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth! ! That explains the reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified
  
If you are a Mouse :
Always up to some sort of a mischief! The mischievous
gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of person. No wonder people seek for your company and look forward to include you for all get-together' s. However, you are sensitive which is a drawback.
People need to select their words while talking to you. If someone tries
to fiddle around and play with words while dealing with you, it is
enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person then!
  
If you are a Lion:
Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place for a long
duration. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to tactfully
derive work from people. You love being loved, and when you receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all
theirs!!!! Well, well..hence some people could even take an advantage,
flatter you to the maximum and get their work done. So be careful.....
  
If you are a Cat :
An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes shy,
with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer
quietness. You love exploring various things and going into depth of
each thing. Under normal circumstances you're cool but when given a reason to, you are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you mingle along freelybut don't like talking much to strangers. People feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your friends.
 
If you are a Turtle :
You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The
examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in
the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them.You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys.
  
If you are a Dove :
You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life.
Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are
the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in
their times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away
from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love....
  
If you are a Panther :
You are mysterious. You are someone who can handle
pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere
without going berserk. You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and
things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. As a
result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, you love
to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they really need
 you.
  
If you are a Monkey :
Very impatient and hyper!!! you want things to be done as quick as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love if you
are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles.
Shall your name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very
beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what
saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people are!!

Go Directly to Gaol (Jail)

This past Tuesday I spent over four hours waiting in a long, long queue outside what used to be the Provincial Prison of Carabanchel (in the Southwestern part of Madrid) where many prisoners on the losing side of the Spanish Civil War were held.  No, I wasn't waiting to buy tickets for a concert or anything like that.  I was waiting to hand in the required papers to renew my residency, which I have to do every five years.  Every time I have to go through this process I swear I'm going to apply for Spanish citizenship.  Now that I've put in my papers I have to go back and pick up my permit in 40 days.

In theory, they're going to start demolishing the prison in October to build more flats, a hospital and a school.  However, there are organizations and some of the political parties who are against the construction of the proposed new housing.  They want the prison to be converted into a type of civic centre and monument to those who suffered during the era of Franco.  A demonstration has been organized for the 27th though I doubt if it will make one bit of difference, because the decision has been made to build I think I heard over 700 flats.

Post Secret was WOW this week from beginning to end.  I saved about 5 postcards, including the one I'm posting with this.  I can't say that my dog is weird.  At least I've never caught her sleeping on the table or even on the table for that matter. She just doesn't like the rain and guess what?  I was getting ready to take her out earlier when it decided to start sheeting it down.
Luckily this time we didn't get any hail, but it is so dark and cool outside.  I was visitor number 182,215,259 today.

Well, I'd better see if I think Madam will go out and then decide what's for lunch.  Hope everybody has a good week.  

Almost Missed Today's Secrets

I've chosen this secret today not because it's anything profound or that it's one which I could have written but because I like the message and it's colourful. I was almost convinced that there would be no new secrets today. I checked at least three times before they came up, and I finally got to the visitor counter to see that I was number 180,992,978. If you ever read a secret about the visitor counter, you'll know I wrote it. lol
We had an emergency meeting of the flat owners of my building yesterday. Nine showed up including myself. If you've read my 'About Me', you'll know that I've lived most of my adult life in Spain. I have yet to become accustomed to how they can shout and throw out insults at one another. It was a bit funny because a young couple attended for the first time as she had inherited the flat from her father. The young man couldn't believe how everyone agreed to disagree and rudely at that. He'll learn! Two hours of torture and I came away with a headache. This has to end somewhere.
Hope everybody is up for a good week. I might get the chance to post again in the next few days, but I don't want to leave before saying what wonderful weather we've had this week. Jacket weather! Take care everybody.

No Words Can Ever Express

Remembering the 11th of September, 2001.

Rain in Spain Again

As I've stated recently, I'm not an expert on the weather in Madrid during the month of September. I do know, however, that the violent storms we had last night are more normal for the end of June or the beginning of July. By the time I got off the phone last night (wasn't my choice to be on it for over an hour), it had started to sprinkle a bit and we could hear thunder in the distance. I've said many times that my dog doesn't like the rain. She likes storms even less, but she did manage a quick pee. Rain is always welcome here although a map posted by Had in one of her blogs doesn't show Madrid as lacking in water. Rain is one thing; the heavens opening up and 'showering' us with all the rain that we'd missed out on at the beginning of summer is another. Maria is always talking about boomers. We didn't have any of that. Instead, it was just one continuous roll of thunder interspersed with lightning, and I sure don't remember hail lasting as long as it did last night. As a matter of fact, we got the same storm twice! I even got hit by hailstones bouncing off the windowsills as I was closing the windows. And here I was thinking what a great night for sleeping.Who can sleep through such violence?

Goodbye Chicken Tuesday

Some friends and I have got together to wish a fond farewell to the Internet famous Chicken Tuesday. I was never one to participate in the event, but let me tell you I have a whole file full of chicken recipes from Chicken Marsala to Tarragon Chicken, Chicken Salads and somewhere in a blog I did an Angry Chicken.

This was a good excuse to gather up some of my not really feathered bibelots and dust them off. The big mother hen with chicks under her at the back on the left was my grandmother's. My Portuguese roosters are pointing to the door as they should.

Tomorrow is a holiday, and I know it sounds silly but I don't know which holiday it is. I don't think it's usually a holiday - probably it's in place of another one that fell on a Sunday. I plan on making a curry on Chicken Tuesday and hope I'm permitted to do so.

P.S. I like the term bibelots. It sounds more sophisticated than plain old dust collectors.

Stress and the Rest

STRESS 
I don't know how many times during this past week I've wished I were invisible or that I had a secret passageway out of my house. It seemed that every time I opened the door either to enter or leave the building there was a neighbour, who also happens to be the president of the building and I, unfortunately, am the vice-president and all-round gofer, waiting to pounce. If it wasn't to help her go through some old papers or to complain about this or that, it was to tell me the neighbours on the second floor had got locked out and were trying to open the door with a credit card. What makes things worse is that she owns two flats (apartments) and both offer excellent views of everything.  Sometimes I think I could climb out the window as I live on the ground floor, but, with my luck, she'd be in her flat upstairs, hanging out the window, and catch me.When we're in her flat on the ground floor, every time someone enters the building she gets up and looks out the peep hole to see who it is. I know we all have our faults and vices, but I hate being controlled and I sure crave some privacy. At one time we were considering installing cameras in the building because we had a spate of vandalism, and, although we knew who the culprit was, no one actually caught him at it. Next Saturday we're having an urgent meeting of the flat owners. I could bore you with the details but I won't or at least not yet.

THE REST
We've had a pleasantly cool week here. This past August was much hotter than last year's. As this is my first September staying in Madrid for a long, long time, I can't really say, but I imagine being this cool is abnormal. On Thursday afternoon when I was going to an organic supermarket to get my dog some biscuits, I could hardly walk because the wind was so strong. Then we had some nice rain yesterday morning just as I was getting ready to take the dog out, and naturally had to wait until it stopped because the little madam doesn't like rain. I think the cool weather is my fault, because I had my hair cut short on Thursday. If I want to change the weather, I have my hair cut.

INTERRUPTION
Can you believe she (the president) has come down, plunger in hand (guess she was cleaning the toilet), to tell me there were some papers that she forgot to show me. Upstairs I go again.

THE END (I hope)
The Post Secret visitor counter is working this week; I'm number 179,335,364. I had to pinch one for later use.  It's one which I almost could have written. Hope everybody has a good week without too much stress. If you'd like some, my neighbour sure can arrange it.

Roger's Birthday

Today is my brother Roger's birthday.  The photo shows what he looked like in the first grade.  Too bad the photo is a bit worn.  I suppose he still looks  more or less like the little boy in the photo with some years added on, but I don't think his ears stick out so much any more.

We used to have to walk quite a distance to get to the school bus and walk the same distance to get home after school.  There was an old abandoned house on our route, and everybody knows that old abandoned houses are haunted so we always hurried past that.  However, in the afternoon little Roger was tired and used to fall into deep ditches and couldn't get out.  Not too long ago he told me that it wasn't true - that he could get out.  Well, I knew that!  I just wanted to get home, get my homework done and watch the Mickey Mouse Club.  Another time we found a big bag of groceries that we thought some hunters had left, and on top of the bag was a bag of chocolate drops, which we loved.  We didn't see anybody around and were just about to help ourselves when somebody jumped out from behind a tree.  We took off running as fast as our little legs could carry us.  The person, who turned out to be our father, quickly caught up with Roger, but I was almost home before he caught me.

And here's one of the most stupid things Roger did.  This time our sister Diana was with us.  There was a big snow on and he asked me if I dared him to stick his head in a snow drift.  I answered that I didn't care what he did.  If old abandoned houses are haunted, then all snow drifts are hiding a sharp rock.  He was wearing a cap, which didn't protect his silly head from such a sharp rock, because when he took his head out of the snow there was blood everywhere.  We didn't know that head wounds, even small cuts like he had, were more scandalous than dangerous.  We thought he was bleeding to death and took off running home again.  That's one time we all got home early.  I think he learned his lesson about snow drifts.

On Roger's birthday, I'd like to think he'll be celebrating it with his grandkids.  He probably doesn't see them often enough.  Hope it's a very happy day and somebody remembers that his favourite cake is chocolate with caramel frosting.

Fantastic Video

                Amazing Female Voice (2nd Song) - video powered by Metacafe